This sweet, tangy and spicy Korean dipping sauce (known as chogochujang) is a perfect Korean sauce to pair with seafood!

Today, I want to talk about Sweet, Tangy and Spicy Korean Dipping Sauce aka Cho-Gochujang (초고추장) or ChoJang (초장). I get it if you thought this post was about “steamed prawns” rather than the “dipping sauce” from the above picture. 🙂 But certainly the above combo was how I enjoyed this sauce recently.

After I posted Three Ultimate Korean BBQ Dipping Sauces a few weeks ago, I received a recipe request for a Korean dipping sauce for seafood. Here it is, Angeline, This one is for you!

The direct translation of Cho-Gochujang means {Vinegar (Cho) + Gochujang}. But in reality there’s a more complex flavour to it than that. First you will notice the sweetness, then the tanginess, and finally the spiciness kicks in.

It is most commonly paired with (raw, boiled or steamed) seafood – e.g. oysters (Gul, 굴), abalone (Jeonbok, 전복), Korean style sashimi (Hweh, 회), octopus (Muno, 문어 or Nakji, 낙지) and squid (Ojingeo,오징어). You can also pair it with blanched broccoli. Some restaurants serve it in this manner as a side dish (Banchan, 반찬).

My recipe is quite a runny version, like tabasco sauce. Some Koreans add sesame oil into the sauce but I don’t like adding it as I think it could overpower the flavour and you might not be able to taste the main ingredients (e.g. seafood) much.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy my recipe!

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Korean chili paste (Gochujang)
2 Tbsp White vinegar
1 Tbsp Raw sugar
1 Tbsp Honey
1 tsp sesame seeds
1/4 tsp minced garlic

*1 Tbsp = 15 ml

How to Make Sweet, Tangy and Spicy Korean Dipping Sauce (Cho-Gochujang)

Mix the above ingredients in a bowl well. Stir until the sugar dissolves.

Note

It can be stored in a fridge for a few weeks. (Maybe even for a few months, though I normally finish my sauce within a few weeks, so I can’t verify this).